Skip to content Skip to navigation
UMass Collegiate M The University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Visit
  • Apply
  • Give
  • Search UMass.edu
Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment
UMass Extension Vegetable Program
  • Vegetable Home
  • About
    • About the Vegetable Program
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Funding
    • Request a visit
    • Request a Crop & Pest Management Planning Meeting
    • Contact us
  • Publications
    • Vegetable Notes
    • New England Vegetable Management Guide
    • Northeast Vegetable and Strawberry Pest Identification Guide
    • Cucurbit Disease Scouting & Management Guide
    • Sweet Corn IPM Scouting Guide & Record Keeping Book
    • Nutrient Management Guide for New England Vegetable Production
  • Fact Sheets
  • Special Topics
    • Brassica Pest Collaborative
    • Heating Greenhouses with Locally Grown Corn
    • Winter Production and Storage
  • Resources
    • Food Safety for Farmers
    • Nutrient Management
    • Scouting Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Recursos en Español (Spanish-Language Resources)
    • Useful Links
  • Services
    • Disease Diagnostics
    • Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing
    • UMass Extension Bookstore
    • Hot Water Seed Treatment
    • Mentor Farm Program
    • Scouting Program
  • News & Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • News
    • Past Events
  • Make a Gift

Corn, Sweet

Image
Sweet Corn IPM
Image
Sweet Corn row

Sweet corn is a warm-season crop and one of the major vegetables grown in New England.  It is an extremely popular crop for roadside stand sales.

Sweet corn grows on a wide range of soil types. Early planting should be on light, well-drained soil in a warm, sheltered location.  Heavier soils are best for the main crop.  Plowing under corn stalks and cover crops to maintain high levels of organic matter in soils is recommended for best crop production.  Irrigation may only be necessary in dry weather, particularly on light soils, and especially as silking starts.

First plantings are made in early April in southern New England and in May in northern New England.  Growers planting in cold soils run the risk of erratic germination and poor stands.  Avoid planting while soil temperature is lower than 55°F.  If soil temperature is below 60°F, it is advisable to plant treated seed.  If you are planting untreated seed, wait until the soil temperature is at least 65°F. Most seed companies perform cold germination tests of their seed. If in doubt about the suitability of a corn variety for early planting, ask your seed dealer about the low temperature germination and vigor of the seed.  Clear plastic mulch raises soil temperature can be used for the earliest plantings. This can provide corn 7 to 10 days earlier then non-mulched corn. Apply fertilizer and herbicides, and plant seed before laying the plastic over seeded rows. Two rows 18" to 24" apart are usually planted under each strip of 5'-wide plastic. 

To avoid head injury, do not let temperatures beneath the plastic get too high (90°F or more).  When such conditions occur, or when the plants reach 4" in height, cut slits in the plastic to allow heat to escape and plants to grow through.  Remove the plastic completely by the time the corn is knee high to facilitate removal and permit cultivating.

Spunbonded row covers offer a potential three-way benefit for early sweet corn production.  Maturity is increased by 5 to 10 days, yields are generally increased by 15 to 20%, and the first generation corn borer can be controlled if the covers are left on until after the peak of the first generation corn borer flight.  They can also be used to pre-warm the soil before planting.  They can be removed to allow planting and then replaced.  Weight edges with soil to prevent damage by gusty winds, but leave adequate slack for plant growth to the tassel stage.

For Current information on production methods (including varieties, spacing, seeding, and fertility), weed, disease, and insect management, please visit the New England Vegetable Management Guide website

Major disease problems in this crop:

  • Corn, Common Rust
  • Corn, Northern Corn Leaf Blight
  • Corn, Smut
  • Corn, Stewart's Wilt

Major insect pests that affect this crop:

  • Aphid, Corn Leaf
  • Armyworm, Common
  • Armyworm, Fall
  • Corn Earworm
  • Cutworm, Black
  • European Corn Borer
  • Japanese Beetle
  • Sap (picnic) Beetle
  • Stalk Borer, Common
  • Wireworm
Last Updated: January 14, 2013

The Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment and UMass Extension are equal opportunity providers and employers, United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Contact your local Extension office for information on disability accommodations. Contact the State Center Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 413-545-4800 or see ag.umass.edu/civil-rights-information.

Ways to Connect

  • Ask a question
  • Request a Visit
  • Request a Crop & Pest Management Planning Session
  • Submit a Sample
  • Become a Mentor Farm
  • Join the NEVBGA
  • Make a Donation

Connect with us on Social Media

extension vegetable program facebook page  extension vegetable program instagram   extension vegetable program youtube channel

Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

 

Stockbridge Hall,
80 Campus Center Way
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003-9246
Phone: (413) 545-4800
Fax: (413) 545-6555
ag [at] cns [dot] umass [dot] edu (ag[at]cns[dot]umass[dot]edu)

 

Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Information

College of Natural Sciences

Login for faculty and staff

CAFE Units

Mass. Agricultural Experiment Station

UMass Extension

UMass Research and Education Center Farms

UMass Cranberry Station

Water Resources Research Center

Interest Areas

Agriculture

Commercial Horticulture

Energy

Environmental Conservation

Food Science

Nutrition

Water

Youth Development & 4-H

Services

Pesticide Education

Plant Diagnostics Laboratory

Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory

Hot Water Seed Treatment

Water Testing / Environmental Analysis Laboratory

Projects

Conservation Assessment Prioritization System (CAPS)

Extension Risk Management/Crop Insurance Education

Mass. Envirothon

Mass. Herp Atlas

Mass. Keystone

MassWoods

North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative

RiverSmart

UMass Design Center in Springfield

Resources

Extension Sales Portal

Agriculture & Commercial Horticulture Resources

Community & Economic Vitality

Disaster Preparedness

Food Safety

Home Lawn & Garden

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Land Conservation Tools

Pollinators

Tick testing

Resources for Faculty and Staff

Extension Programs

4-H Youth Development

Agriculture

Crops, Dairy, Livestock and Equine

Fruit

Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture

Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry

Pesticide Education

Turf

Vegetable

Clean Energy

Climate Change

Food Science

Nutrition Education

Value-Added Food

Seal of The University of Massachusetts Amherst - 1863
©2025 University of Massachusetts Amherst · Site Policies · Accessibility